


we finally have that second chance

by trilliastra



Series: Tumblr Fics [68]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Fluff, M/M, Meeting After Long Time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 10:03:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11849277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trilliastra/pseuds/trilliastra
Summary: “Ten years, Derek. I look at you now and I remember everything, but – I don’t even know what you do!” He hates Kate Argent so much, hates her more than anyone else and he’s a cop, he’s met some awful people.But Kate – Kate was awful for no reason, spread a rumor just for fun, messed with Stiles and Derek’s relationship, made them distrust each other because she thought it would be amusing. If hell was to swallow her up now, Stiles would fucking laugh.“I’m a journalist.” Derek answers. When Stiles snaps his head up, gives him a quizzical look, Derek only smiles. “See? There are no rules saying we can’t start over.”





	we finally have that second chance

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the prompt: "Anonymous: sterek bumping into each other?"

“Ouch, fuck.”

“Sorry, man.”

 _Shit_.

Stiles  _knows_  that voice.

“Derek? Derek Hale?”

Derek looks at him confusedly for a second before his eyes get impossibly wide and he lets out a soft ’ _oh’._ “Stiles?”

Stiles nods, grinning. “Hey! For a moment there I thought you wouldn’t remember me.”

Derek snorts. “No way, though it’s been, what – ten years?”

“Give or take.” Stiles answers, blinking his own surprise away. It’s weird to think that this is how they meet after ten years, bumping – quite literally – into each other at Macy’s.

It’s sad too, if Stiles think about the past and the promises they made, the plans for the future. Derek was his one and only back then, for two years they were each others’ world. First kiss, first time, first awkward family dinner, first fight, first break up-but-not-really, first reunion sex. And  _fuck_  – ten years passed and Derek didn’t even recognized him at first? Did they really change this much?

He gives Derek a sad smile. “You look good.” He says and it’s true, ten years only made Derek look better. He even has a full beard now. Eighteen year-old Derek would be  _so_  jealous. Damn, twenty-eight year-old Stiles is jealous  _now_.

“You too.” Derek says, smiling too. Stiles can’t get a read on his expression, feels his stomach turning at the reminder of a time when he used to know what Derek was thinking before  _anyone_ , even his sisters.

“Yeah, what –”

“Daddy!” A little girl shouts suddenly, running towards them and holding Derek’s legs possessively. “Mom was looking for you.” She says, glaring vehemently at Stiles.

Stiles has no right to feel jealous, but fuck he does. He was supposed to be the one coming to the mall with Derek, buying clothes for their kids. He was supposed to be Derek’s one and only too.

“It’s okay, Liz.” Derek says, running a hand through her hair. “He’s my friend, Stiles.”

“Oh, okay.” She says, replacing her angry expression with one of complete and utter excitement. “You like this dress?” Liz lifts a red dress, looks at Derek expectantly.

“It’s pretty.” Derek answers. “But do you remember what I said? Just one dress.” He points at the other dress she’s holding in her tiny hand.

“Fine.” She huffs. “I’m going to return the pink. Don’t go anywhere, uncle Derek!”

After she left, Derek turns to give him an apologetic smile. “She’s my niece.” He explains. “I don’t really like talking to people and – sometimes she pretends she’s my daughter to scare them away.” He looks away, the tip of his ears going pink.

Some things don’t change after all, Stiles remembers the way Derek used to blush so easily, especially when he was being teased or having dirty things whispered in his ear. It’s good to know his old Derek is still in there.

“I guess that explains why you’re buying a Spiderman costume.” He jokes. Derek laughs, the sound bringing a sense of deja vú.

“Liz prefers Superman. This is for her younger brother.” He explains. “What about you?”

“Scott’s son wants to be Legolas.” Stiles smiles fondly at the reminder of his godson. “I guess he takes after Allison.”

“Oh?” Derek’s eyes widen. “They are still –” When Stiles nods in confirmation, Derek smiles sadly. “I guess high school romance  _can_  last, huh?”

It’s like being punched in the face. Stiles flinches, closes his eyes. “I’m sorry.” He blurts out. “I shouldn’t have – of course – I’m sorry. I’m sorry –” Stiles babbles, running a hand through his face. There’s a reason he’s still alone. Derek was always in the back of his mind, his face at graduation – the last time they saw each other – burned into Stiles’ memory.

“Stiles.” Derek calls softly, reaches out to touch Stiles’ shoulder. The feeling of his warm hand against his skin, so foreign yet familiar at the same time, sending shivers down Stiles’ spine. “It’s okay. You know Kate lied.”

“And I believed her!”

“I would have too.” Derek says. “Not because I didn’t trust you, but because I was afraid. Just like you.”

Stiles takes a deep breath, wills himself not to cry. Those memories are so painful. “Ten years, Derek. I look at you now and I remember everything, but – I don’t even know what you  _do_!” He hates Kate Argent so much, hates her more than anyone else and he’s a cop, he’s met some awful people.

But Kate – Kate was awful for no reason, spread a rumor just for fun, messed with Stiles and Derek’s relationship, made them distrust each other because she thought it would be  _amusing_. If hell was to swallow her up now, Stiles would fucking laugh.

“I’m a journalist.” Derek answers. When Stiles snaps his head up, gives him a quizzical look, Derek only smiles. “See? There are no rules saying we can’t start over.”

“But –”

“Look,” Derek sighs, it’s almost enough to make Stiles smile. Derek always knew how to handle him. “we were already fighting, before Kate invented that stupid pregnancy thing. You wanted NYU and I wanted UCLA, you thought I wanted to be away from you and I thought you wanted to be away from me. We were  _kids_.” He states, stubbornly. “No hard feelings.”

Deep down, Stiles always knew Kate’s lie wasn’t the only reason for their break up. He trusted Derek more than anything, he  _knew_  it was a lie. But it’s so much easier to blame someone else, so much better than to just admit the truth.

And the truth is – Stiles was so fucking  _scared_. He loved Derek, but he had no idea how to make it work in the real world, with college and work and meeting new people. He was afraid to be let down, afraid to let Derekdown.

He saw first hand how hard it was for Allison and Scott. He was there for their fights, the make-ups, the six-month break, the discussions, the accusations. They were strong enough to walk through that, but he also saw Jackson and Lydia, their toxic relationship, the resentment.

He missed Derek something fierce, but he always had the good memories. Those he wouldn’t trade for the world.

“Yeah.” He agrees. Maybe it’s time to be a little honest with himself. “I missed you.”

Derek smiles. “Me too.” Then he reaches out for Stiles’ hand, squeezes it softly. “I promised Liz I would take her for ice-cream, want to join us?”

“Yes.” Stiles answers quickly. “Yes, of course.”

–

“Uncle Derek doesn’t smile much.” Liz says casually. She’s at her second ice cream cone because she dropped the first on her jacket and pouted until Derek sighed and went to the bathroom to clean it, leaving Stiles and Liz alone.

She looks so much like the Laura Stiles met when he was a teenager it’s scary. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She says. “He thinks mom doesn’t know that I pretend to be his daughter sometimes, but she does.”

“Really?”

“Yep.” She giggles. “Don’t tell uncle Derek, but she likes when I do it.” Stiles laughs too, that’s  _so_  like Laura – the overprotective sister who pretends she doesn’t give a damn. Meeting Derek’s parents weren’t as hard as meeting  _Laura._  “She says he deserves to be happy and dad always says that when we’re happy we smile a lot.” Liz explains. “Uncle Derek smiles a lot when he’s around you, so I guess you make him happy.”

“ _Oh?_ ” Stiles asks, baffled. That’s – it’s been ten years, Derek is over him, isn’t he?

But again, Stiles obviously isn’t, so maybe – there’s still a chance?

“Are you dating?”

“No.” Stiles answers, distractedly.

“Are you going to?”

The ’ _I don’t know_ ’ is on the tip of his tongue, but once Stiles spots Derek walking towards then, Liz’s jacket in hand, he makes up his mind. “I’d like that.”

“Nice!” Liz says. “Hi, uncle Derek!”

“Hey, pumpkin.” Derek answers. “Here’s your jacket. And your mom called, she said a certain someone lied about having done their homework and needs to go home right away.”

Liz huffs. “But I don’t want to!”

“Well, you have to.” Derek says, then he turns to Stiles. “I’m sorry, but when Laura says something –”

“You better do it. Yeah, I remember.” Stiles jokes, making Derek laugh. Fuck, he missed being able to do that. “Hey, Liz? Why don’t you go buy a chocolate? It’s a thank you gift for being so nice to me.”

“Okay!” She says, excitedly, takes the money from his hand and runs towards the counter.

Derek arches an eyebrow. “What was that for?”

“I just wanted to do this –” He says before cupping Derek’s face with both hands and kissing him.

The stubble is different, and the hands on his hips are bigger now, but aside from that – it’s exactly the same. The feeling in his chest, especially, it hurts, but in the best,  _best_ , way.

“Shit.” Derek whispers against his mouth., clings to the back of Stiles’ shirt. “I missed this. And you. I missed you.”

“Me too.” Stiles murmurs. “Here.” He thrusts his phone into Derek’s hands. “So I can talk to you tonight, and tomorrow, and the day after.”

“You will.” Derek promises. “If you think I’m letting you stay away from me for the next ten years, you’re wrong.” He kisses Stiles’ hand. It was a thing he used to do back then, Derek used to say a kiss on the lips was cliché – though he was never against it – but on the hand was sweet, beautiful. It was  _their_ thing.

Stiles laughs, feeling genuinely happy for the first time in ten years.

**Author's Note:**

> come talk to me about sterek on my [tumblr](http://www.brookesbutler.tumblr.com)!


End file.
